Yu Ying lightly bit her cherry red lips and pitifully asked, “Senior Brothers, why are you slandering me as soon as we meet? How did this Junior Sister offend you? Senior Brother Feng and I share a pure and innocent relationship. Senior Brothers, please don’t soil my reputation.”
While speaking, she looked at Yang Kai with some worry, as if she was afraid that he would come to know of her past.
“Pure and innocent!?” Zhang Xian’s eyes immediately widened, stunned. He was rooted on the spot while the four other disciples of Brahma Holy Land also looked as if they had seen a ghost.
After a while, the five suddenly laughed out loud in unison., their voices rampant and filled with sarcasm.
Suddenly, they stopped laughing as Zhang Hao stated with a cold look on his face, “That’s the funniest joke I have ever heard.”
Zhang Xian also added, “A man staying with you in a bedroom and still remaining pure and innocent? I’m afraid such a man must be one that has yet to be born!”
Yu Ying’s face turned red and blue. Even if she was fickle and lascivious, she found it a little hard to take it when it was said straight to her face. She glanced at Yang Kai and defended herself, “Senior Brother Feng, don’t listen to their nonsense. This Junior Sister isn’t that kind of person.”
Yang Kai said, nodding, “I know.”
But he also sneered in his heart. He had pretty much figured out her nature over the time he was with her. [What’s going on in her mind? She is still pretending to be innocent and explaining herself to me even at this point?]
Yu Ying, seeing Yang Kai’s indifferent look, was a little bit annoyed in her heart and secretly blamed the Brahma Holy Land disciples for being meddlesome. But since she was weaker than them, she didn’t dare to be angry. All she could do was cast a pitiful look and defend herself, “Senior Brothers, did you stop this Junior Sister just to humiliate her? If that’s the case, then you have succeeded. This Junior Sister… will take her leave.”
“You want to leave? Did you ask me yet?” Zhang Hao shouted aloud.
“Senior Brothers, what do you want?” Yu Ying’s heart started pounding. Seeing Zhang Hao and his group aiming at her, it was quite obvious that they weren’t here for a chat.
Zhang Xian coldly glared at Yu Ying and asked, snorting, “Cheap slut, let me ask you, where is our Junior Brother Deng Yong now?”
When she heard this, Yu Ying’s expression slightly changed; however, she hid it very quickly as she forced a smile and stated, “Senior Brother Zhang Xian, why are you asking me this? Shouldn’t you know where Deng Yong is? Why are you asking this Junior Sister? I haven’t seen him.”
“You still dare to lie!?” Zhang Hao’s eyes flickered with a cold gleam as he shouted, “Junior Brother Deng Yong clearly died at your hands.”
Panic-stricken, Yu Ying defended herself, “Why would Senior Brother Zhang Hao think that? I and Deng Yong have no past grudges or grievances. Even if I ran into him, why would I kill him? Not to mention, Deng Yong is stronger than me. Junior Sister is powerless to kill him even if I wanted to. Senior Brother Zhang Hao, don’t slander me.”
“You are still trying to give excuses!” Zhang Hao grit his teeth, his burning with fury as he glared at Yu Ying and coldly snorted, “Since you are being so stubborn, I let you understand! The Scattered Soul Seal of Junior Brother Deng Yong is clearly branded on you. We tracked you down by sensing this Scattered Soul Seal. Now, what else do you have to say!”
Yu Ying’s face suddenly paled.
Zhang Xian added, “At first, we were still wondering who it was that killed Deng Yong, but it turned out to be you! Deng Yong is indeed stronger than you, but it’s not surprising that he died at your hand; after all, he has always been a lecher!”
Zhang Hao continued, “Although Deng Yong was utterly depraved and deserved to be damned, he was still a Brahma Holy Land disciple. Yu Ying, you will have to pay for his death with your life! However, I will give you a chance to commit suicide here and now rather than suffer at our hands.”
The two of them had directly pronounced Yu Ying’s death, draining Yu Ying’s pretty face of its blood, causing her tender body to tremble.
At this moment, Yang Kai had already noticed a hidden Soul Imprint somewhere on Yu Ying’s body. Obviously, it was left by this Deng Yong before his death. It was ridiculous that Yu Ying had been unaware of it, causing her to be caught by the disciples of Brahma Holy Land. Now, she couldn’t justify herself even if she wanted to.
Yang Kai had been wondering why the five Brahma Holy Land disciples would come straight at them and block him and Yu Ying, but now it seemed that it was because of the Scattered Soul Seal.
It was unclear when Yu Ying had killed Deng Yong, but she must have done so within this year.
Yang Kai was secretly annoyed. He followed Yu Ying just so that he could find Yin Le Sheng, nothing more, nothing less. He had never expected such a thing to happen, and worse, he couldn’t just ignore it either. If he didn’t do anything, Yu Ying would die for sure, and all his hard work and perseverance would go to waste.
So, whether he wanted to or not, he had to save Yu Ying.
“Still not acting?” Zhang Hao, seeing Yu Ying stalling, he couldn’t help but shout, “Think about it, if you force us to do it, you won’t die even if you want to!”
Yu Ying’s face turned paler as she grit her teeth and stepped back as she tenderly shouted, “This is Senior Brother Feng De from my Sect. If you have anything to say, talk to him!”
When she saw that things weren’t in her favour, she directly pushed Yang Kai out, wanting to use him as a shield and not making any qualms about it.
“Feng De?” Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes as he indifferently glanced at Yang Kai, “Where did this waste pop out from? I’ve never heard of him!”
Regarding Netherworld Sect, any Dao Source Realm cultivator who could compete with the Holy Sons of their Sect was well known, so since he had never heard of Feng De, it meant he was just a normal disciple, not someone they needed to care about.
“Boy, are you going to stand up for this slut? You still have time to think it out!” Zhang Xian looked at Yang Kai and sneered.
Yang Kai remained calm while he was filled with irritation, using this opportunity to vent slightly, “Junior Sister Yu, since you called me Senior Brother, then this Feng naturally can’t sit back and watch. If you want to kill her, you have to pass through this Feng first!”
Yu Ying, who was hiding behind him, had her eyes brightened immediately. She hadn’t expected his response would be so bold and responsible; after all, he wasn’t a Netherworld Sect disciple and they were just acquaintances. If he fled at this moment, it would be understandable. But he didn’t do so.
[This guy is really stupid!] Yu Ying sneered in her heart.
However, if Feng De kept them busy for a while, she may have a chance to escape. As for whether Feng De could survive or not, she didn’t care, her life was most important.
[Unfortunately, I can’t bring him to Netherworld Sect, but who would have thought that he was this unlucky?]
Yu Ying secretly made plans in her heart. She had already taken the posture to escape at a moment’s notice. Although her stance was quite well concealed, it couldn’t escape Yang Kai’s notice.
He sneered in his heart seeing this. Yu Ying was as sinister and vicious as could be. If he was really Feng De, he might have been sold out by her already. Unfortunately for her, even with all her schemes, what was the point if they are so obvious?
“Alright, since you want to die, then I will fulfil your wish!” Zhang Hao looked rough and was clearly someone with a fiery temper. He was undoubtedly irritated by Yang Kai, so as he spoke, he summoned a war hammer into his hands. This artifact gave off terrifying energy fluctuations as he raised it up high and smashed it towards Yang Kai and Yu Ying, showing no mercy.
In a flash, the surrounding space froze, and it seemed as if the void was about to collapse. The next moment, an enormous hammer image appeared above Yang Kai and Yu Ying, covering them entirely.
Even though this move was powerful, it was nothing in Yang Kai’s eyes. If he wanted, he could easily wipe out these five disciples of Brahma Holy Land.
However, he didn’t want to expose his true abilities here, especially in front of Yu Ying.
So, he pretended to be panic-stricken. He didn’t use any Secret Techniques or summon any artifacts, instead just wielding his fists madly towards the giant hammer.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The next moment, the void shook as powerful shockwaves spread in all directions.
Yang Kai spurted a mouthful of blood and retreated ten metres, as if he couldn’t bear it.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Yang Kai promptly jumped back and fled towards the depths of the void, without even looking back. Before fleeing, he didn’t forget to shout, “Junior Sister Yu, quickly run!”
At this moment, Yu Ying had already used some kind of Secret Technique and her figure vanished into a plume of smoke, flying off into the distance like a gust of wind. Judging by her appearance, it seemed that she had already decided to run when Yang Kai and Zhang Hao clashed, having no intention of helping Yang Kai.
Hearing Yang Kai’s shout, she hurriedly said, “Senior Brother Feng, you escape as well! You will definitely die if they catch you!”
Her escape technique was very peculiar and it seemed that she was burning up all of her Source Qi to use it. Such consumption was terrifying, but it made her move extremely fast.
Yang Kai took a glance and hurriedly bit the tip of his tongue, pretending to spurt out a mouthful of Blood Essence before catching up with Yu Ying.
Zhang Hao and his group stood gawking on their spot, dumbfounded.
When Yang Kai took a brave and senseless stance, they thought that they had encountered someone with some backbone. However, they hadn’t expected Yang Kai to spurt blood after clashing just once with Zhang Hao and now even burned his Blood Essence to escape.
“That guy… he’s just an embroidered pillow!” Zhang Xian teasingly remarked.
“Hmph, he should count himself lucky for running so quickly, otherwise, he would have definitely died without a burial!” Zhang Hao added, furious. He then put away his hammer artifact and ordered, waving his hand, “Follow them. No matter what, they have to die to avenge Junior Brother Deng Yong!”
The others nodded in agreement as they followed closely after the two Holy Sons, Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian, in pursuit of Yang Kai and Yu Ying.
Yu Ying and that guy named Feng De had resorted to such extreme means to escape. One using such a high consumption Secret Technique and the other, using his Blood Essence; however, both methods could not be maintained for long! Once enough time passed, they would definitely be in a greatly weakened state.
At that time, they wouldn’t have to worry about anything when killing them.
On the other side, Yang Kai and Yu Ying, who had fled into the depths of the void, didn’t dare to look back.
Having ‘burned his Blood Essence’, Yang Kai appeared to be in a sorry state. But in fact, everything was under his control as he simply hadn’t done such a thing.
After flying for a while, Yang Kai finally shouted, “Junior Sister Yu, you have to dispel the Scattered Soul Seal on your body as quickly as possible, otherwise we won’t be able to escape.”
[This woman is really stupid, those two Holy Sons just mentioned this but even now she hasn’t thought of getting rid of it!] If she had no relation to finding Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai would have never reminded her.
After being reminded by Yang Kai, Yu Ying finally came to her senses and she immediately started undressing herself. After a while, she had completely stripped herself, leaving only a set of undergarments that were as thin as cicada’s wings and completely transparent.
Black lines immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face at the sight of this and he couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Sister Yu, what are you doing?”
Yu Ying justified herself, “I can’t even sense where the seal is. I hope that it’s on the clothes.”
Yang Kai was rendered speechless, “It’s on your shoulder, focus your Divine Sense to look for it!”
The Scattered Soul Seal was indeed pretty well hidden, and had it not been for Yang Kai’s extraordinarily powerful Divine Sense, he would not have been able to easily find it. Now, with Yang Kai’s guidance, Yu Ying hastily gathered her Divine Sense on her delicate shoulder.
After a while, a smile bloomed on her face. Obviously, she had found something.
Who knew what Secret Technique she had cast, but as the two escaped, Yang Kai could feel the Scattered Soul Seal slowly dissipating before finally vanishing into nothing.
Only then did Yu Ying heave a sigh of relief. She then took out a new set of clothing from her Space Ring and put it on.
Now that there was no Scattered Soul Seal, the two of them only needed to run faster and get rid of the Brahma Holy Land disciples to be safe.
After having gotten free of the worries, Yu Ying finally thanked Yang Kai, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Feng, for everything you did just now.”
Yang Kai indifferently responded, “You’re welcome.”
As if she had sensed his indifference, Yu Ying couldn’t help but look a little sad. She was wondering whether this Senior Brother Feng was angry at her because of what just happened; after all, she had indeed gone overboard. Had it been someone else, they would have surely been angry.
After escaping for half an hour like this, Yu Ying’s already pale face whitened even more. She was out of breath and although her Secret Technique was easy to use, it consumed a lot of her energy. It was difficult to maintain their speed.
Yang Kai, seeing that she had slowed down, summoned his ship and proposed, “Get on, I will take you with me!”
Yu Ying immediately nodded her agreement before jumping straight onto his ship. She sat down cross-legged and started stuffing herself with restorative pills. While at it, she took out a communication artifact and continuously sent out messages. Apparently, she was trying to contact some Netherworld Sect disciples.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was secretly elated. He hoped that Yu Ying could connect with Yin Le Sheng at once.
The Brahma Holy Land disciples seemed to have been thrown far behind as when Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense, he was unable to find them.
One day later, Yu Ying’s pretty eyes suddenly lit up and she shouted in a low voice, “Senior Brother Feng, I found someone from my Sect.”
Yang Kai was overjoyed and immediately asked, “Who?”
Yu Ying replied, “It’s Senior Brother Zhong, Zhong Zhen Yong. I wonder if you have heard of him or not?”
[It’s not Yin Le Sheng.] Yang Kai was a little disappointed, but he still replied, “I don’t know much about the Eastern Territory as I have never been there, so I haven’t heard of your Senior Brother Zhong.”
Yu Ying explained with a smile, “Senior Brother Zhong ranks among the top three in the Dao Source Realm within our Sect. If we can get his protection, we don’t need to be afraid of those Brahma Holy Land disciples. We should look for him right away.”
“Good, lead the way!” Yang Kai nodded.
Although Yu Ying couldn’t reach Yin Le Sheng, Yang Kai felt that it might not be impossible to inquire about Ying Le Sheng from this Zhong Zhen Yong; after all, maybe Zhong Zhen Yong knew something they didn’t.
Next, Yang Kai changed direction under Yu Ying’s guidance and flew towards a certain place.
After an hour, a figure standing in the void entered Yang Kai’s vision. Yang Kai immediately piloted his ship toward this figure and even before the ship could come to halt, Yu Ying rushed out in joy and cried, “Senior Brother Zhong!”
“Junior Sister Yu!” Zhong Zheng Yong smiled at Yu Ying before he raised his eyes and indifferently gazed at Yang Kai while asking, “Is this the Brother Feng that Junior Sister Yu mentioned?”
He directly spoke Yang Kai’s false name, so obviously, Yu Ying had already informed him about Yang Kai before coming here.
Yu Ying agreed with a nod, “Yes, Senior Brother Zhong. Junior Sister was only able to safely come here thanks to Senior Brother Feng.”
Zhong Zhen Yong was handsome and suave and seemed to have an amiable air around him without much arrogance. Having gotten the confirmation, he glanced at Yang Kai and asked, “I heard Junior Sister Yu say that you are from the Grand Desolation Star Field and a Star Master, just like Junior Brother Yin?”
Yang Kai politely cupped his fists and replied, “This Feng is indeed from the Grand Desolation Star Field and is also a Star Master, just like Senior Brother Yin. I haven’t seen Senior Brother Yin for many years and miss him very much, so I took the liberty to come with Junior Sister Yu here. I hope Senior Brother Zhong will forgive me.”
Zhong Zhen Yong broke into laughter as he stated, “No worries, no worries, since you intend to join our Netherworld Sect, we might be fellow Brothers in the future, so there’s no need to be so polite.”
Yu Ying added, “Senior Brother Zhong, this is not the right place to talk. Senior Brother Feng and I were being chased by Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian of Brahma Holy Land. I don’t know if they are still chasing after us. Let’s talk while on the move.”
“Zhang Hao, Zhang Xian!” Zhong Zhen Yong’s eyes glistened with a cold gleam as asked in a cold voice, “They dared to chase you? What for?”
Yu Ying apologetically replied, “Junior Sister accidentally killed Deng Yong…”
Zhong Zhen Yong angrily looked at her and asked, “He died because of the exhaustion of his Source Qi, am I right? How many times have I told you not to improve your strength like this! It will cause your foundation to become unstable and can also lead to an accident…”
“Yes, yes!” Yu Ying, seeing Zhong Zhen Yong about to lay bare all her past scandals in front of Yang Kai, immediately interrupted him and coquettishly reminded, “Let’s go quickly. Thanks to Senior Brother Feng, I am finally safe and sound. Senior Brother Feng is my saviour.”
“Then you better treat others a little better in the future,” Zhong Zhen Yong slightly smiled.
It seemed that because Yu Ying had said so many good things about Yang Kai, Zhong Zhen Yong’s attitude towards Yang Kai’s was pleasant. Obviously, he wanted to become friends with Yang Kai.
Under Yu Ying’s repeated urging, the three of them immediately set off.
Zhong Zhen Yong seemed to already have a destination in mind as he led the way without saying a word. Yang Kai and Yu Ying were left with no choice but to quietly follow after him.
After flying for a while, Yu Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother Zhong, where are we going?”
“I’m looking for the others. They seemed to have found a very interesting place.”
“A very interesting place?” Yu Ying’s eyes lit up as she immediately asked, “What’s interesting about it?”
“You will know when you get there,” Zhong Zhen Yong left her hanging and didn’t explain anymore.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “Will Senior Brother Yin be there as well?”
Zhong Zhen Yong replied, “I don’t know. I also received a call from another disciple and was rushing over when I suddenly received a message from Junior Sister Yu. So, I stopped and waited for you.” He glanced at Yang Kai and stated with a smile, “Brother Feng and Junior Brother Yin must have a very good relationship for you to be so anxious to meet him.”
Yang Kai’s heart jumped as he realized that he had acted too eagerly. Nevertheless, he maintained the same expression as he explained himself, “Senior Brother Yin helped me a lot in the Grand Desolation Star Field in my early years and I have never gotten the opportunity to repay him. Naturally, I’m concerned about him.”
“You owe a debt of gratitude and hope to recompense it! Brother Feng is also a man with brotherly sentiments. My Netherworld Sect will gladly welcome someone like you,” Zheng Zhon Yong broke into laughter.
Yang Kai replied, “It is this Feng’s honour to join the Netherworld Sect. But I don’t know how high the threshold of your noble Sect is.”
Zhong Zhen Yong patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and said, “Rest assured, you will be fine.”
“Then, let me thank Senior Brother Zhong for his kind words in advance.”
The three chatted as they continued with their journey.
After two days, a huge dark red star suddenly came into view.
When their eyes laid on this star, whether it was Zhong Zhen Yong, Yu Ying, or Yang Kai, they were all shocked.
Ever since they entered the Shattered Star Sea, all the Cultivation Stars they had encountered were shattered. They had never seen a complete star; however, at this moment, one such star was right before their eyes.
The star was enormous and seemed quite ancient. Looking at it, it looked like a giant eye indifferently watching over the surroundings, causing everyone to shudder at the sight of it. It even gave off some kind of inexplicable pressure.
Not only that, this Cultivation Star was also radiating a terrifying heat, so much that even the space around it appeared to be distorting. In addition, there were countless black holes of varying sizes around this Star. When everyone turned their attention towards these black holes, it felt as if they would be completely devoured by them.
“Senior Brother Zhong…” Yu Ying’s pretty face slightly turned pale as she leaned against Zhong Zhen Yong a little as she asked, “Is this the interesting place you mentioned?”
Zhong Zhen Yong replied with a grin, “Exactly!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he stated, “What dense Source Strength. Furthermore… it seems to be a little different from a normal Source Strength…”
Zhong Zhen Yong explained with a nod, “That’s because it is a Fire Attribute Star Source, not just an ordinary Star Source. If a cultivator cultivating a Fire Attribute Secret Art or Secret Technique can obtain this Source Strength, his or her strength would soar!”
“A Fire Attribute Star Source!” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he immediately thought of Liu Yang.
This would be extremely useful for Liu Yan! But Yang Kai hadn’t seen her after we had parted ways some time ago. It was a mystery whether she knew about this Fire Attribute Star Source.
However, Liu Yan was currently with Zhang Ruo Xi, and this Cultivation Star seemed like a dangerous spot, so even if Liu Yan had sensed this Fire Attribute Star Source, Zhang Ruo Xi might not be able to get close since her strength is still too low.
[Since it is here, if I can obtain and collect this Fire Attribute Star Source, I can just leave it for Liu Yan.]
Yang Kai secretly made up his mind as he became interested in this strange star.
And in that momentary loss of concentration, a sense of crisis suddenly flooded Yang Kai’s heart. Immediately after which a matchless burst of energy flew towards his face.
Yang Kai’s expression slightly changed as he saw a giant ghost claw piercing towards his heart.
This wasn’t the first time he saw such a ghost claw. When he had first encountered Yu Ying, he had seen her use this Secret Technique to fight with Guan Qi. It could be considered a symbol of the Netherworld Sect.
In a flash, Yang Kai understood who had sneak-attacked him.
If any ordinary cultivator had been sneak-attacked at such a close range and without any prior warning, he or she would have been completely powerless to resist, but Yang Kai cultivated the Dao of Space, so it was easy for him to sense and avoid such a sneak-attack.
At the critical moment, he directly used Nihility, turning his body illusory.
The ghastly ghost claw pierced through Yang Kai’s body, flying toward the depths of the void before disappearing very soon after.
Yang Kai’s figure solidified again as he coldly glared at Zhong Zhen Yong.
“Senior Brother Zhong… what are you doing?” Even until this moment, Yu Ying hadn’t realized what was happening and turned to Zhong Zhen Yong in amazement; she had no idea why he suddenly attacked Yang Kai.
After all, Zhong Zhen Yong’s attitude toward Yang Kai had been pretty good along the way. He had been chatting and laughing with him the whole time, so why did Zhong Zhen Yong suddenly turn hostile after coming here? Yu Ying wasn’t able to figure it out.
“Yes, Senior Brother Zhong, what are you doing?” Yang Kai coldly looked at Zhong Zhen Yong and asked with a gloomy look on his face, “How has this Feng offended you that you actually want to assassinate me?”
“This Feng is it?” Zhong Zhen Yong raised his brow and broke into laughter before he shouted, “Brother Feng, let this Zhong ask you a question. If your answer is satisfactory, this Zhong will apologize for everything. If it’s not… heh heh…”
Yang Kai slowly squinted his eyes as he replied, “Senior Brother Zhong, why don’t you ask then?”
Zhong Zhen Yong asked with a grim look on his face, “Brother Feng, which Sect in the Grand Desolation Star Field do you belong to? How did you come to meet Junior Brother Ying?”
Yang Kai was lost in thought after hearing this.
Zhong Zhen Yong had been paying close attention to the change in Yang Kai’s expression, not daring to miss even the slightest change. The nearby Yu Ying looked between the two as well. No matter how stupid she was, she finally realized that something was wrong and she couldn’t help but furrow her dark brow, silently circulating her Source Qi while vigilantly staring at Yang Kai.
After a short while, Yang Kai raised his eyes as he finally responded, staring at Zheng Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong, these are… two questions? You are breaking your word.”
Zhong Zhen Yong was stunned before he snapped back, “Whether it’s one or two, just answer.”
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile as he asked, thoughtfully staring at Zhong Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong seems to know something!”
Since he already launched a sneak attack, it was obvious this Zhong Zhen Yong knew something and probably realized from the start that Yang Kai had been impersonating Feng De.
“Senior Brother Zhong, what is happening here?” Yu Ying asked, with an unsightly look on her face.
Zhong Zhen Yong let out a cold snort as he explained, pointing at Yang Kai, “Junior Sister Yu, this ‘Feng De’, who had been following you all the while, is a fake.”
“A fake!?” Yu Ying was stunned as she looked at Yang Kai in shock.
“The real Feng De is already dead!”
“Dead!?” Yu Ying was confused as she muttered to herself in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
If Feng De was already dead, how did this guy know so much about her Senior Brother Yin? What was the relationship between this guy and Senior Brother Yin? Did he pretend to be Feng De to approach Senior Brother Yin? Recalling that she had been totally defenceless with Yang Kai without even being aware of his true intentions, Yu Ying couldn’t help but shudder.
“The real Feng De died in the Starlight Corridor. Junior Brother Yin saw it with his own eyes, so this is a fact. As for the person in front of you, he has some grudges with Junior Brother Yin,” Zhong Zhen Yong sneered as he mockingly looked at Yang Kai, “Am I right, Brother Yang?”
A heavy emphasis on the ‘Brother Yang’.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he asked in surprise, “Oh? Since you know everything down to my name, it seems that Yin Le Sheng has been in contact with you?”
While speaking, his eyes lit up as he glanced towards the strange dark red Star.
Although Zhong Zhen Yong didn’t mention where Yin Le Sheng was now, Yang Kai was ninety percent certain that he was on this Star. Otherwise, Zhong Zhen Yong would not have been able to contact Yin Le Shen and ask about him at all.
“Good,” Zhong Zhen Yong didn’t have any intention of denying it, “I indeed obtained all this information from Junior Brother Yin. No matter what kind of grievance there is between you and Junior Brother Yin, you will not have a chance to report it.”
While he was speaking, a hideous and greedy look appeared on Zhong Zhen Yong’s face, like he was hungry for a pound of Yang Kai flesh.
“Who exactly are you? Why did you lie to me!?” Yu Ying became furious. Her pretty eyes were burning with fury as she bit her lips in anger, glaring at Yang Kai, her face laced with murderous intent.
Yang Kai glanced at her and stated in a cold voice, “What an ungrateful and ruthless woman. This Young Master saved your life and now you dare to show murderous intent toward me? Even shamelessness should have a limit!”
Yu Ying tenderly shouted, “So what!? Since you dared to lie to me, you deserve to die!” She turned around and said to Zhong Zhen Yong, “Senior Brother Zhong, this guy has a complete Star Source. If you can obtain it, it will be of great benefit to Senior Brother.”
Zhong Zhen Yong licked his lips as he excitedly stated, “I’m well aware of this.”
In the Netherworld Sect, although he believed that his current strength wasn’t much worse than Yin Le Sheng, based on Yin Le Sheng’s terrifying cultivation speed, it wouldn’t be long before he would be surpassed. And the biggest source of Yin Le Sheng’s rapid progress was his status as a Star Master and the fact that he had a complete Star Source.
This was an opportunity that no cultivator could get even after praying day and night for!
But now, another cultivator with a complete Star Source was right before him. This kind of Star Source was completely different from the Shattered Star Sea’s Shattered Sources. If Zhong Zhen Yong could obtain Yang Kai’s Star Source, the benefits would be simply unimaginable. With it, he wouldn’t need to worry about being surpassed by Yin Le Sheng. Both would have a complete Star Source and the rest would come down to hard work and persistence. And in those regards, Zhong Zhen Yong was confident that he wouldn’t lose to anyone.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Is Yin Le Sheng really on that Star?”
Zhong Zhen Yong rebuked with a cold snort, “You are about to die, what’s the point in asking?”
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Since I’ve found Yin Le Sheng, there is no need to keep you all alive!”
Zhong Zhen Yong was startled before he furiously roared, “Little brat, you are really insane! You are the first one to say something like this to this Zhong! I will send you to hell with this Netherworld Purgatory Banner!”
Saying so, he suddenly stretched his hand out and summoned a black banner. A burst of cries and howls immediately came from the black banner and gusts of dark and sinister winds that carried endless coldness swept out.
When the Netherworld Purgatory Banner spread open, even richer Yin Qi billowed towards Yang Kai, making him feel as if he was being dragged into the real Netherworld.
Yu Ying, seeing Zhong Zhen Yong resorting straight to his trump card, had a distinct change in her expression and hastily retreated, lest she was also caught up in this fight.
“An interesting artifact! This should be perfect for Gui Zu,” when Yang Kai caught sight of the Netherworld Purgatory Banner, his eyes immediately lit up. This artifact was similar to Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Both artifacts should have the same origin, but the grade of the Netherworld Purgatory Banner was obviously much higher than Gui Zu’s Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Yang Kai could even feel faint Emperor Pressure emanating from it.
In other words, this artifact should have been personally refined by an Emperor Realm Master and was currently a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, yet to fully evolve into a genuine Emperor Artifact. However, as long as Zhong Zhen Yong advanced to the Emperor Realm and used his Emperor Aura to nourish this Netherworld Purgatory Banner, that upgrade would happen sooner or later.
Worthy of one of the top three disciples of a top Sect! Zhong Zhen Yong took out something extraordinary right from the start.
The never-ending cries and howls were like devil’s whispers, filled with mystifying powers that could affect the mind of any hostile cultivator. Judging by how aggressive Zhong Zhen Yong was, it was quite apparent that he wanted to finish Yang Kai in one move, not giving him a chance to fight back.
A complete Star Source was too attractive to him!
Yang Kai was ready to take the challenge with a serious look on his face, lifting his hands and quickly forming a series of profound seals.
After a few complicated movements, an inexplicable force suddenly spread towards the surroundings and a mysterious Principal Strength started to diffuse about.
Zhong Zhen Yong’s eyes bulged as he suddenly had a bad feeling. At that moment, it seemed like his actions and even his thoughts were slowing down, everything around him coming to a halt.
The only one that wasn’t still was the guy who pretended to be Feng De.
[What Divine Ability is this!?] Zhong Zhen Yong’s face drastically changed as his heart was gripped by a chill.
Although Yang Kai’s seals hadn’t been finished yet, Zhong Zhen Yong already had warning bells ringing in his mind. [This boy surnamed Yang isn’t someone that should be provoked!]
From somewhere unknown, a whisper rang in his ears, shaking his Soul.
“Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
An unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly flooded his mind, and at the critical moment, Zhong Zhen Yong bit his tongue and spewed out a mouthful of Blood Essence.
Along the spurting of his Blood Essence, the strange stillness around him was finally broken and everything returned to normal, but when he looked up, an enormous seal was already right before him, leaving him no room to escape.
*Hong…*
A thud suddenly rang out, stunning Zhong Zhen Yong on the spot.
He didn’t feel a strong impact like he had imagined, nor did he notice any injuries on his person; however, he was shocked to find that a strange energy was now invading his body, causing his vitality and lifespan to pass at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if hundreds or even thousands of years had elapsed for him.
“Senior Brother Zhong!” Yu Ying couldn’t help but scream as her eyes widened in incredulity, the scene before her absolutely terrifying to behold.
Zhong Zhen Yong seemed to have realized something too and he slightly raised his old and dried hands, putting them right before his eyes before asking in a trembling voice, “What… what the hell… did you do to me?”
Yang Kai coldly glared at him before raising his hand and sending out a Moon Blade at him.
Had Zhong Zhen Yong been at his peak, he might have been able to avoid this blow, but at this moment, over ninety percent of his vitality had been drained. He was now completely powerless to react.
The pitch-black Moon Blade struck Zhong Zhen Yong and silently sliced him in two.
Yu Ying immediately turned pale.
Dead! Her Senior Brother Zhong Zhen Yong had actually died just like that!
Senior Brother Zhong was ranked amongst the top three in her Sect and could be regarded as an outstanding genius in the Eastern Territory or even the entire Star Boundary, but he had been killed by a cultivator in the same realm effortlessly!
If this kind of thing hadn’t happened right under her nose, Yu Ying would have never believed it.
But the facts were right before her eyes and she couldn’t doubt them.
It was only now that she finally realized that Yang Kai had hidden his strength throughout their journey. Previously, when he spurted blood while fighting against the Brahma Holy Land disciples, he was undoubtedly just acting! It was simply laughable that she had scorned him earlier for not being Zhang Hao’s opponent.
[With such strength, even Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian aren’t worthy to carry his shoes!]
[Can a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator really be this strong!?] Before the man pretending to be Feng De, Yu Ying was hit with a sense of panic and powerlessness, as if she was in front of an Emperor Realm Master. She couldn’t even lift a finger, much less summon the courage to escape. She just stupidly stood on the spot, her tender body shivering like a sparrow in the winter without a nest.
After killing Zhong Zhen Yong, Yang Kai reached out and took his Space Ring and the Netherworld Purgatory Banner. At the same time, a beam of starlight shot straight into the sky from the back of Zhong Zhen Yong’s hand before flying towards Yang Kai, straight into the seal on the back of his hand.
Yang Kai had already noticed that Zhong Zhen Yong’s Star Seal was the same as his, six-pointed. After the two merged, it would surely provide a lot of nourishment to his Star Seal, helping it go a step further.
Finally, he focused his gaze on Yu Ying, coldly staring at her.
“Senior… Senior Brother Feng, I…I…” Yu Ying, meeting his gaze, turned pale all of a sudden, stammering incoherently as she was unable to even finish a complete sentence.
“Along the way here, I have troubled you,” Yang Kai indifferently said.
Yu Ying forced a smile as she tremblingly stated, “It is this Little Sister’s honour to be of service to Senior Brother Feng.”
“En!” Yang Kai gently nodded before suddenly waving his hand, and along with fluctuations of Space Principles, a pitch-black Moon Blade flew out.
“Nooooooo!” Seeing this, Yu Ying turned pale as she screamed loudly.
Although she had no idea what this Secret Technique was, she had seen Zhong Zhen Yong die under the exact same attack. Now, Yang Kai was using the same move to deal with her… Obviously, he wasn’t planning to let her leave with her life.
As she screamed, she hurriedly summoned her defensive artifact and pushed all her Source Qi to defend herself, hoping to avoid this catastrophe, but what horrified her was that this pitch-black blade was far more horrifying than she had imagined. It cut through all her defences like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, rending her figure in two.
Yu Ying only felt a slight pain before her consciousness faded away.
Yang Kai reached out and took away her Space Ring. After waiting for a while, Yu Ying’s Star Seal flew out and was received by him.
He raised his hand again, firing a few bursts of energy that crushed Zhong Zhen Yong’s and Yu Ying’s corpses into dust.
He didn’t hesitate to kill Yu Ying. Regardless of whether he was Feng De or not, it was still a fact that he had saved her, but instead of doing her best to repay that life-saving grace, she had instantly turned hostile after coming to know of his origins. The death of such a person wasn’t worth pitying.
Not to mention, Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression of her.
After finishing all this, Yang Kai suddenly frowned as he glanced behind him.
He noticed that the Brahma Holy Land disciples from before had re-appeared. It was unknown whether they were here because they received word of this Fire Attribute Star Source, or because they were pursuing him.
However, Yang Kai had no intention of meeting the Brahma Holy Land disciples. These people’s grudge was with Yu Ying, and now that she was dead, Yang Kai didn’t want to unnecessarily become entangled with Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian.
His figure flickered as he shot toward the dark red star at an astonishing speed.
The closer he got, the more Yang Kai could feel the terrifying heat radiating from the Star. The Fire Attribute Star Source there seemed even more incredible than he imagined, exciting him greatly.
Half an hour later, he landed somewhere on the Star. Everywhere in sight was nothing but a desolate piece of land. Apparently, everything had been burned to the ground by intense flames, leaving not a single blade of grass behind.
Who knows how this Star remained intact in the battlefield where numerous Great Emperors fought to the death.
“Oh? A Flaming Cloud Mushroom!” Yang Kai’s gaze was suddenly attracted by something like a cloud of fire. With his knowledge, he could naturally recognize that it was an Emperor Grade spirit medicine, Flaming Cloud Mushroom. What took him aback was the fact that it could still grow in a place like this and even reach the Emperor Grade.
However, after giving it a second, it wasn’t that surprising to find Fire Attribute spirit medicines growing here. The Fire Attribute energy here was extremely rich. Not to mention, there was a Fire Attribute Star Source here as well.
In that momentary hesitation though, Yang Kai caught sight of a figure rushing toward the Flaming Cloud Mushroom. Apparently, the oncoming figure had also discovered the spirit medicine and wanted to pick it.
The Flaming Cloud Mushroom was an Emperor Grade spirit medicine, which was extremely valuable in itself. The conditions it required to grow were also extremely harsh, so it was much more expensive than an ordinary Emperor Grade herb.
As an Emperor Grade Alchemist, how could Yang Kai let someone else snatch such a rare spirit medicine from right under his nose?
As such, his figure flickered as he arrived before the Flaming Cloud Mushroom in one step.
He reached out and dug out a large part of the area where the Flaming Cloud Mushroom grew then threw it into his Sealed World Bead.
When Yang Kai was finished with everything, that figure came leaping toward the area before him.
But obviously, this person was a step late. So, the figure immediately stood ten metres away from Yang Kai, glaring at him with an unhappy look on its face.
Yang Kai indifferently looked back at the figure, but upon seeing this person’s appearance, he couldn’t help but frown.
Because just judging by appearance, Yang Kai couldn’t tell whether the opposite party was male or female.
If this person was a man, he was a bit too handsome. His skin was white as snow and looked soft and delicate, but if she was a woman, Yang Kai couldn’t find any characteristic features an ordinary woman should have. Her chest was completely flat, and her bottom wasn’t the slightest bit shapely. Even though her figure was slender, she was lacking all the curves a girl should have.
Even the clothing this person wore was gender-neutral.
[Is this guy a man or woman?] A confused look immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
While Yang Kai was carefully sizing up the opposite party, the opposite party suddenly rebuked, “Friend, isn’t what you did a bit unbecoming? I spotted that spirit medicine first.”
As soon as he heard the opposite party’s voice, Yang Kai was gobsmacked.
At first, he believed that even if he couldn’t tell the other person’s gender by their appearance or figure, he could at least infer something from their voice, but after hearing them speak, Yang Kai realized that he had been too naive.
The opposite party’s voice was a little magnetic, and very pleasant to the ears, but also unspecific and mild-pitched, making it hard to tell whether it belonged to a man or woman. The other party was also in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, just like Yang Kai, but the Star Seal on the back of their hand was only five-pointed.
Yang Kai didn’t bother about the other party’s gender anymore and simply replied with a smile, “Fellow Brother, you can eat whatever you like but you can’t just say anything you want. This herb was without an owner, so it belongs to whoever picks it first.”
Just as Yang Kai said this, the opposite party’s face contorted into an angry scowl before cursing angrily, “You are a Brother! Your entire family are Brothers! Can’t you see that I’m a woman!?”
Yang Kai was flabbergasted and seriously sized up this person who claimed himself to be a woman. But even after a good long while, Yang Kai just earnestly shook his head and stated, “I can’t tell!”
The woman immediately grew furious, her face filling with rage as she lifted her head and pointed to her neck and stated, “Are you blind!? Can’t you see that I don’t have an Adam’s apple?”
Black lines immediately appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he stated, “I can see that… but I don’t see… many other things…”
While speaking, Yang Kai gazed at her chest.
The woman’s face now turned extremely gloomy and she couldn’t help but puff up her chest, finally causing some slight bulge to appear.
Yang Kai clapped his hands and stated, “Now, I see some clues.”
“You are really as blind as a dog!” The woman seemed to have a bad temper and ground her teeth as she cursed.
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, “Little… Sister, how old are you this year? Children should speak in a civilized manner. You shouldn’t swear.”
“You’re the child! You’ll be a child your whole life!” The young woman was so incensed that she directly palmed towards Yang Kai.
This move of hers wasn’t powerful and carried no murderous intention. Obviously, she was just angry and lashing out because of Yang Kai’s teasing.
After she finished, she turned around left without even looking back or checking Yang Kai’s response.
Yang Kai happily raised his arm and dispersed her attack. He then looked up and saw that she was already thousands of metres away from him. Finally, she looked back and angrily glared at him before she disappeared.
“Sister, don’t go, I still didn’t get your name!” Yang Kai shouted with a grin.
But he didn’t get any response. He had no idea where she had gone. Perhaps she was so angry at Yang Kai that she didn’t even bother to respond to him, and didn’t bother to pester Yang Kai to return the Flaming Cloud Mushroom.
After having been prodded by that so-called girl, Yang Kai’s mood was suddenly lifted.
He spread his Divine Sense and scanned the surroundings to make sure that there weren’t any other spirit medicines around. After he was done, he finally summoned his ship and flew toward the direction where the Fire Attribute Source Strength was the richest.
What he could say for sure was that Yin Le Sheng was on this Star. Only, he couldn’t discern his exact location.
However, it was absolutely the right choice to move closer to where the Source Strength was rich, because Yin Le Sheng would definitely go there, and as long as he could find Yin Le Shen, Yang Kai could inquire about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts.
Yang Kai had been separated from Xiao Xiao ever since he entered the Star Boundary and had never stopped worrying about him. Xiao Xiao’s specialty and naivety would make him an easy target for any powerful Master.
This Star was very peculiar, however. Yang Kai had been in the Shattered Star Sea for so long but he had never encountered a star with spirit medicines. However, there were many of them here.
All the spirit medicines here were, of course, Fire Attribute. They should have been born because of the Fire Attribute Source Strength. Every spirit medicine’s medicinal age was also quite good, making them all very valuable. However, Yang Kai didn’t pick every spirit medicine along the way; he didn’t waste his time picking useless things.
Apparently, quite a few cultivators had come to this Cultivation Star as Yang Kai occasionally met some. These people rarely acted alone like him, basically moving in pairs, or groups of three to five. Obviously these people were disciples of the same Sect, or were good acquaintances.
Some of these people had fierce and wicked auras, and from just one glance, it was quite evident that they weren’t to be provoked easily.
After a day, Yang Kai suddenly felt bursts of powerful energy fluctuations coming from a very far distance.
He immediately stopped and looked towards that direction with a stern gaze, feeling Emperor Pressure emanating from there. He was surprised by this and wondered who was breaking through to the Emperor Realm.
In the Shattered Star Sea, cultivators could break through to the Emperor Realm. Every time the Shattered Star Sea opened, many would see through the profundities of the Emperor Realm here and jump over the dragon gate, reaching the sky in a single leap.
So, Yang Kai couldn’t help but wonder about this.
However, when he gave it a second thought, he realized that something wasn’t right, because while the energy fluctuations emitted were on the level of someone breaking through to the Emperor Realm, Yang Kai didn’t notice the World Energy Baptism that would accompany a breakthrough to a new Great Realm.
Since it wasn’t a breakthrough, could an Emperor Artifact be about to appear?
Realizing this, Yang Kai was surprised and he hurriedly turned and shot towards that direction.
He had heard that some very high-grade Emperor Artifacts would occasionally appear in the Shattered Star Sea, because it was not just Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who died in this place, many other Great Emperors had been buried with him.
Various treasures owned by the other Great Emperors, who had died in the Shattered Star Sea, were patiently waiting for the destined one to obtain them.
Therefore, all the Emperor Artifacts born in the Shattered Star Sea were of extraordinary significance and high value. They could cause countless people to fight for them.
The Emperor Artifacts of Great Emperors were completely different from ordinary Emperor Artifacts. If one really compared, the gap between them was equivalent to the difference between an Emperor Artifact and a Dao Source Grade Artifact. There was simply no comparison.
Naturally, nobody would miss such a good thing.
When Yang Kai was flying in the direction the Emperor Pressure was coming from, he suddenly felt the world around him tremble. Immediately after, an echoing sound like a morning bell came from the front. The sound waves were so concentrated that they were visible to the naked eyes. They swept away everything like a violent gust of wind and carried an extremely terrifying might.
Yang Kai’s expression drastically changed as he hurriedly flew down to the surface while carefully protecting his Soul.
*Hualala…*
The ground in the vicinity was completely flipped over and rolled like a wave, giving the illusion that this Star was about to shatter.
When the sound waves hit, Yang Kai suddenly became unstable; stars circled around his eyes and he was struck by dizziness. There were only the chimes of a huge bell ringing in his mind, making him lose his wits.
In shock, he quickly mobilized the power of his Soul Warming Lotus, supplementing and protecting his Knowledge Sea. Only then did he finally recover from the shock.
As he looked around again, Yang Kai gasped as the landscape had experienced tremendous changes. Several small peaks had actually risen from the ground while mountains that originally existed had ceased to exist. Countless abyss-like fissures had appeared on the ground, making for a daunting sight. The whole world seemed to have been shrouded in a haze all of a sudden.
Yang Kai was completely dumbfounded.
Such a terrifying might definitely couldn’t come from the cultivators who had entered the Shattered Star Sea for tempering. The only explanation was that an Emperor Artifact had appeared!
And this artifact definitely belonged to a Great Emperor. Yang Kai’s heartbeat quickened all of a sudden. He wiped the blood flowing from his nostrils and quickly rushed in the artifact’s direction like a bolt of lightning.
There were many people all around, and the sound of them cutting through the air was obvious. Clearly many cultivators were rushing there with the same intention as Yang Kai.
Yang Kai secretly cursed in his heart. None of the people who had come to the Shattered Star Sea were simple. Even if he had been slightly injured just now, he didn’t expect that no one had died from that deathly knell!
After a while, Yang Kai arrived not far away from the source of the sound. Hovering mid-air, he looked over and couldn’t help but shiver at the sight before him.
About a thousand meters away, a strange mountain entered Yang Kai’s vision. This mountain was about three hundred meters high and had a peculiar shape, almost like a giant bell placed on the ground.
Halfway up the mountain, shattered pieces of rocks kept rolling down, and from inside that mountain, dazzling brilliance and powerful Emperor Aura kept radiating.
“The Emperor Artifact!” Yang Kai’s pupils shrank as he immediately realized that the mountain was where the Emperor Artifact was hidden.
The other cultivators here were obviously aware of this too, but the might of the Emperor Artifact before had been too deadly, so even though they all came here, no one dared to act rashly.
And in front of the mountain, several mutilated corpses were lying on the ground at this moment. All of these corpses were bleeding from their seven orifices. It was quite a miserable sight, and judging by their appearances and the location of these deceased people, they should have been the first ones here. The person who discovered the Emperor Artifact encountered severe backlash when he tried to take it away, as a result, he was killed right then and there.
Suddenly, the brilliance of Star Seals glowed from these corpses. After their owners died, these Star Seals escaped and hovered mid-air, but right then, they seemed to be attracted by something as they flew towards cultivators in the vicinity.
An extremely dazzling Star Seal among them actually flew toward Yang Kai’s direction.
How could Yang Kai miss such a good thing? His figure flickered as he welcomed the Star Seal.
At the same time, countless cultivators also made their moves, their gazes fixed on the free Star Seals, prompting them to snatch these prizes.
About seven or eight cultivators were eyeing the same Star Seal as Yang Kai, their cultivations all in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
They were fast, but Yang Kai wasn’t slow either.
Making use of his mastery of Space Principles, Yang Kai leapt ahead of the crowd and snatched the Star Seal.
But the moment the Star Seal entered his hand, a figure suddenly shot over towards him and reached out to grab his hand, grabbing his wrist right away. However, because the other party didn’t push their Source Qi and didn’t have the slightest malice, Yang Kai didn’t show much reaction.
[This guy is pretty fast!] Yang Kai was a little surprised, because he hadn’t noticed any threat from the person who was trying to rob his Star Seal, but now, it seemed that if he was a little slower, the Star Seal would have been snatched by this person.
This cultivator, who was only a step away from the Star Seal, was so fast that Yang Kai couldn’t keep up without using Space Principles to teleport.
Yang Kai looked up at the opposite party in surprise, but after seeing the opposite party’s face, he couldn’t help but speak with a grin, “We meet again.”
He found that the cultivator he was slightly concerned about, was none other than the so-called woman he had previously seen.
“It’s you again!” The young woman, after seeing that it was Yang Kai, frowned as an annoyed look appeared on her face, “Why are you stalking me? Why do you keep snatching my things wherever I go!”
Just recently, Yang Kai had snatched a Flaming Cloud Mushroom from her, and now he had robbed her of a Star Seal. Was this guy sent by the Heavens to snatch her things?
Yang Kai sheepishly grinned and stated, “Sister, you speak as if I have been chasing you. Rest assured, I’m not interested in women with small chests!”
After hearing this, the young woman’s face immediately turned cold and she clenched her teeth in anger. Both her top and bottom weren’t well defined, and this was the biggest regret in her life. Now, when Yang Kai pointed it out right in front of her face, it would be strange if she looked happy.
“If you dare to talk nonsense, I’ll rip your tongue out!” The girl said with hatred.
Yang Kai smiled and stated, “Then you should let go of my hand first. If you keep doing this, I’m going to act indecently!”
The woman let out a snort after hearing this and she retracted her hand, turning around before flying down and landing.
The other oncoming cultivators, who failed to grab the Star Seal, looked at Yang Kai in amazement. There was an extremely strange look on all of their faces.
Seeing Yang Kai turn his gaze towards them, all of them shuddered and their faces turned pale as they involuntarily took a few steps back, creating a distance between them.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, unaware of why these people were reacting like this, but in the next moment, he suddenly realized and explained himself with a straight face, “She’s a woman. What, did you think I’m interested in men?”
Everyone’s face turned pale after hearing this and they scampered off in haste.
Yang Kai’s face turned black after he realised that they all thought that he would use his sword to attack them.
He scanned the surroundings with an unhappy look on his face, but in the next moment, he had no intention of worrying about these trivial details and instead excitedly focused his gaze in one direction. On that side, a familiar figure was vying for a Star Seal with several others. His means were extremely ruthless and his cultivation was unmatched. Even though his rivals were all Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators as well, they were clearly not this man’s opponent and were being beaten black and blue.
Yin Le Sheng!
Yang Kai had never imagined meeting Yin Le Sheng would be so easy. Even though he inferred that Yin Le Shen was on this Star through the clues revealed by Zhong Zhen Hong, Yang Kai had no idea where he was, exactly.
And right this moment, he actually saw Yin Le Sheng!
He was obviously attracted by the commotion here.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but have his emotions fluctuate. He thought about it a bit before he flew over, taking something out from his Space Ring and sticking it to his face before circulating his Source Qi.
In the blink of an eye, his appearance changed into that of a burly fellow, completely different from before.
This mask that could change his appearance was a prize he had obtained from Sang De’s Space Ring. In the Solitary Void Sealed World, Sang De relied on this artifact to change his appearance and leave Clear Sky City unnoticed. Otherwise, with his popularity, he would be unable to sneak away.
Even though Sang De wasn’t a good fellow, his Artifact Refining skills were extraordinary. The artifacts he personally refined were extremely effective. Even those close to Yang Kai couldn’t determine his identity while he was wearing this mask, unless they were an Emperor Realm Master and used their Divine Sense to probe him.
After finishing his disguise, Yang Kai felt a strange gaze cast at him.
Yang Kai turned to look and noticed that it was none other than that so-called woman.
She must have seen his actions.
Yang Kai didn’t care about it too much though and just smiled as he flew over to her side, cupped his fist politely, and asked, “I still didn’t get your name!”
The young woman furrowed her brow, appearing a little impatient. Nonetheless, she still replied, “Lan He!”
“So, it is Sister Lan He. This one is Yang Kai!”
“I’m not interested in what you are called! Don’t try to get close to me!” Lan He stated with a cold face.
She had a very bad impression of Yang Kai; after all, she was robbed not once but twice by him. It would be strange to have a good impression of him. As such, she didn’t want to even converse with Yang Kai, afraid that he would really take advantage of her and snatch more of her precious treasures. What’s more, judging by how he was hiding his face and only showing his tail, he must have provoked some powerful enemies and was afraid of exposing himself. The only reason she could be approaching her was to drag her down into the mud with him.
Lan He naturally wanted to stay as far away from someone like him as possible.
Yang Kai grinned and stated, “Fate brought us together, Sister Lan He, why are you being so cold?”
“Who was brought together by fate? Scram!” Lan He, seeing Yang Kai prattling on and on, couldn’t help but curse him.
“En, en!” Yang Kai perfunctorily replied, apologizing for pestering her in his heart but still insisting on standing next to her and quietly watching the situation.
Although Lan He had a temper, she was still a good person. Yang Kai had robbed her twice, yet she did not try to rob him, nor did she make unreasonable demands.
Had it been some other cultivator, it was quite possible that they would have tried fighting Yang Kai to snatch back those treasures.
There were only so many free Star Seals here, but there were dozens of cultivators who had rushed over, attracted by the commotion here, so these Star Seals were quickly divided up.
Yang Kai noticed that Yin Le Sheng, after snatching a Star Seal, landed about two thousand metres away from him. Next to Yin Le Sheng stood three other Netherworld Sect disciples, their auras all dark and cold. Obviously, they were cultivating Netherworld Sect’s unique Secret Arts.
No one was in their vicinity, probably because of the uncomfortable feelings caused by their gloomy auras.
When Yang Kai was secretly observing Yin Le Sheng, the latter actually sensed it and turned his head to stare straight towards Yang Kai’s location, a cold gleam flashing past his eyes.
Yang Kai looked away in a natural manner, as if he was just looking around, but in his heart, he was slightly startled.
When he first met Yin Le Sheng in the Starlight Corridor, Yang Kai came to know that he was the strongest cultivator in the Grand Desolation Star Field. Not only was he a Star Master, but his aptitude was also extraordinary. The second time he saw Yin Le Sheng, he had already soared up into the sky, his speed of cultivation no worse than that of Yang Kai’s.
He had suffered a huge loss in the Starlight Corridor, and hated Yang Kai to the bone, so if Xiao Xiao really fell into his hand, Xiao Xiao would certainly be mistreated. As such, Yang Kai needed to find out about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts from Yin Le Sheng as soon as possible.
While Yang Kai was lost in his thoughts, whispers sounded around him.
The cultivators gathered here all pointed at the bell-shaped mountain, guessing the origin of this Emperor Artifact. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of years had passed since the battle in the Shattered Star Sea, so how could the youths of the current era have much knowledge about such remote history? As a result, nobody had any idea what this artifact was or who left it behind.
Yang Kai looked around, but unfortunately, he didn’t find any acquaintances. None of the elites of the Southern Territory were here. Who knows where else they went.
The Shattered Star Sea was vast and filled with countless opportunities, but only tens of thousands of cultivators could enter it at any one time. Such numbers were like a drop of water in an ocean, so it was quite normal to not meet the elites of the Southern Territory.
“Brother Qi Hai, you are the one with the most profound and immense knowledge here. Surely you are knowledgeable about past and present events. If you can, please tell us about this Emperor Artifact.” Suddenly, someone’s voice echoed loudly.
Everyone immediately looked toward him after hearing this.
There was a smile on this man’s face as he was quietly looking at another nearby man, who was dressed as a scholar.
Following his gaze, everyone focused their gazes on this scholarly man.
The scholarly man had a gloomy look on his face. Obviously, he didn’t want to be the focus of everyone’s attention. Furthermore, even if he knew about the Emperor Artifact, he wasn’t willing to share.
But the person who had spoken before deliberately spoke in a loud voice, causing everyone to look at him with expectations. If he didn’t speak now, he would undoubtedly hide his knowledge, but he might offend everyone present. With so many Masters staring at him, he had to speak even if didn’t want to.
Everyone who could come here was a worldly character and could tell that the relationship between the scholar and the speaker wasn’t very good. If they were really friends, the former speaker would not have embarrassed this scholar to this extent.
However, even if everyone knew this, no one blamed the speaker. Instead, everyone eagerly looked at the scholar, wanting to hear his answer.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the scholar could only bitterly glare at the former speaker before indifferently speaking, “You say I have deep and profound knowledge about both past and present events? That’s hardly true. This Qi has only read some ancient books in his idle time, that’s all. I don’t dare accept your praise.”
That man smiled and continued, “Brother Qi Hai, you are too modest. Compared to Brother Qi Hai, this one’s knowledge is simply like the glow of a firefly before a bright moon. Brother Qi Hai, please give us some advice!”
As soon as that man said this, a grim-faced brute suddenly added, “What’s the origin of the Emperor Artifact? Why is it so powerful?”
“Yes yes, Brother Qi, if you know something, you might as well tell everyone. We are very curious.”
“Tell us about it!”
Qi Hai took a breath. He was riding a tiger now, so he straightened up his thoughts before speaking, “The Shattered Star Sea was the battlefield of Great Emperors. I think you all know this.”
Most of the cultivators gently nodded.
“Back then, although Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s cultivation was peerless, and no one in the Star Boundary was his opponent, because he persisted in killing wantonly with no regard for others, he eventually provoked public anger. Numerous Great Emperors joined forces to fight him here. Finally, their fight shattered this Star Field, leading to the formation of the Shattered Star Sea. In that battle, rumour has it that Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was jointly killed by a few Great Emperors, but the price they paid was extremely heavy. The Masters who participated in the encirclement of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor suffered heavy injuries if not death; no one came out unscathed. It is said that the Heaven’s Revelations Great Emperor is still healing in the Heaven’s Revelation Valley and can’t come out because of his injuries!”
Everyone gasped in shock after hearing this.
Yang Kai was also shocked. He didn’t know whether Qi Hai was speaking the truth or not, but he had indeed heard of Heaven’s Revelations Great Emperor. He was one of the current ten Great Emperors.
This Great Emperor was a very special one even among the other ten because, rumour had it, he could spy on the secrets of the Heavens, catching glimpses of both the past and the future.
Before the opening of the Four Seasons Realm, Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had also sent a message to Azure Sun Temple, informing the entire Southern Territory that Star Seals would appear.
If what Qi Hai said was true, it had taken Heavens Revelations Great Emperor tens of thousands of years to heal from his injuries. It was hard to imagine how badly he had suffered during the encirclement of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was really an astonishing character.
“It is said that a total of four Great Emperors died in that battle!” Qi Hai continued with a solemn expression.
“Four!?” Someone asked nervously.
Qi Hai continued with emphasis, “Cyan Lotus Great Emperor, Yuan Ding Great Emperor, Azure Sea Great Emperor, and Martial Flame Great Emperor!”
No one had ever heard of what he was narrating, so they listened with rapt attention. The same was true for Yang Kai. He had heard of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor a few days ago when Sister Hua had spoken of this Great Emperor. She said that someone had obtained Cyan Lotus Great Emperor’s Indestructible Cyan Lotus in the Shattered Star Sea five thousand years ago, going on to found Cyan Lotus Palace in the Eastern Territory, which was now a top Sect.
“These four Great Emperors fell here, and their Natal Emperor Artifacts and Space Rings, as well as many other treasures and even inheritances were scattered throughout the Shattered Star Sea, including the Indestructible Cyan Lotus of Cyan Lotus Great Emperor, the Mountains and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, the Inverse Azure Sea of Azure Sea Great Emperor, and the Phoenix True Fire of Martial Flame Great Emperor. All of these are unparalleled artifacts,” having spoken all this in one breath, Qi Hai slightly paused before continuing. “The Indestructible Cyan Lotus has been obtained already. Everyone should have heard of the Eastern Territory’s Cyan Lotus Palace. The Palace Master of Cyan Lotus Palace is the current owner of the Indestructible Cyan Lotus. But the artifacts of the other three Great Emperors haven’t been found.”
Having spoken until here, he turned his gaze towards the bell-shaped mountain and spoke in a solemn tone, “The Emperor Artifact in front of us now should be the Mountain and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor. The toll of the Mountains and Rivers Bell can suppress worlds and invert the Heavens!”
*Gudong…*
Sounds of gulping nervously were heard everywhere as everyone’s gaze turned fiery hot.
“What evidence do you have?” Suddenly, someone expressed his doubt.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked toward the source of the voice. It was none other than Yin Le Sheng. Although he looked excited, he suppressed it well. Instead, he looked at Qi Hai vigilantly and asked, “You say that this is the Mountains and Rivers Bell of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, but what proof do you offer?”
Qi Hai sneered and rebuked, “I said it is, then that’s it. Believe what you want!”
Qi Hai was already extremely upset after being forced to reveal such top-secret information in front of so many people. Now he was still being questioned, so he felt like his hot face was put on someone’s cold ass, leading his tone to become cold all of a sudden.
“Since Brother Qi Hai has said so, then we believe it. Since some people doubt this and don’t have the ability to prove otherwise, Brother Qi Hai doesn’t need to pay attention to him!” A handsome young man gave a friendly smile to Qi Hai before reprimanding Yin Le Sheng.
Yin Le Sheng’s eyes turned cold and he fixed his glare on the young man who just spoke as if he was looking at a dead person. Obviously, he was memorizing his face.
The young man was completely oblivious to this, however, and still smiled and asked Qi Hai, “Brother Qi Hai, since this is Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell, how should we collect it? I ask Brother Qi Hai to give us his valuable advice!”
When everyone heard this, they all gazed at Qi Hai attentively.
Qi Hai coldly snorted and rebuked, “If I knew how to collect it, would I still be talking to you here?”
The young man was stunned after hearing this. Even though he knew that it was a stupid question, he still had some hope.
Qi Hai added, “Which of the Great Emperor’s artifacts aren’t sentient? The Mountains and Rivers Bell is the Natal Emperor Artifact of Yuan Ding Great Emperor, it has its own consciousness! If it is willing to choose you as its master, you don’t even need to refine it! It will take the initiative to run into your arms, but if it doesn’t find you worthy, even if you are a peak Emperor, you won’t be able to touch it.”
The young man’s eyes lit up when he heard this and he anxiously asked, “Brother Qi, you mean to say if there is an opportunity, even I can become the master of this Mountains and Rivers Bell?”
Qi Hai stated with a frosty look on his face, “Everyone has an equal opportunity!”
The young man broke into happy laughter as he proudly proclaimed, “This Zhang isn’t confident in other things, but he is quite confident in his own luck. Since the Mountains and Rivers Bell is sentient, it might choose this Zhang as Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s successor and pass me the mantle of Great Emperor!”
He broke into a burst of frantic laughter. While speaking, he actually turned around and started walking towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Everyone was startled at the sight of this and they all realized that this guy surnamed Zhang was going to try to make the Mountains and Rivers Bell choose him as its master! For a moment, everyone curiously looked at him, wondering what the final result would be.
Many of them had a change in their expression, also seeming eager to try; however, they suppressed their urges and patiently waited to see what was going to happen.
Qi Hai stared at the young man’s back and sneered, seemingly mocking his overconfidence.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the young man advanced unopposed, briskly making his way towards the bell-shaped mountain. Perhaps because of how smoothly he was advancing, his confidence increased and he quickened his pace with ecstasy.
Very soon, he was only fifty metres away from the mountain, and still inching closer and closer to it.
At this moment, all the onlooking cultivators were on the edge, weighing the pros and cons of this situation. Everyone was worried; if this man really got lucky and obtained the Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Natal Emperor Artifact, wouldn’t he be the next Yuan Ding Great Emperor?
After another ten breaths, the young man walked up to the mountain without encountering any obstacles or danger along the way. Everyone was a little taken aback by the fact that he hadn’t encountered any troubles. At the sight of this, even the originally sneering Qi Hai became a lot gloomier all of a sudden.
Everyone thought, [Is this guy really destined to be its master by the Heavens themselves!?]
The young man couldn’t help but break into riotous laughter, “I have kept you waiting for far too long. Today, this Zhang will take you away, so you may, once more, proudly walk the Star Boundary. The brilliance of Sir Yuan Ding should not be covered in dust!”
While speaking this, he reached out his hand and tried to touch the bell.
Immediately, a flash of light pulsated from the mountain, as if it was reacting to the young man’s words.
This greatly increased the confidence of the young man surnamed Zhang and without any more delay, he pressed his palm onto the mountain peak and spread his Divine Sense, trying to connect with the Artifact Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
But right then, something strange happened.
The bell-shaped peak shook ever so slightly as a loud hum reverberated from within. In an instant, the mountain collapsed as rocks and sand flew in every direction.
At the same time, an enormous bell-shaped artifact appeared before everyone’s eyes. The enormous bell was extremely simple and unsophisticated, but it was exuding an ancient aura as if it had seen and weathered hundreds of thousands of years.
The enormous bell was covered in extremely complex and mysterious runes that were constantly circling on its surface.
Suddenly, the bell started to glow, and while its brilliance was pulsating, a reverberating toll suddenly rang from it.
*Weng…*
At that moment, the world seemed to be about to be torn apart and the Heavens seemed to invert. Mountains and rivers seemed to be suppressed as the sound of the bell spread to the surroundings. Immediately, sound waves visible to naked eyes converged into an indestructible energy wave. Everyone’s expression drastically changed at the sight of this and they hastily displayed all kinds of defensive techniques.
The moment the bell rang, the young man surnamed Zhang, who was closest to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, seemed to be hit by a mountain, his figure flying high up into the air, profusely bleeding as bits and pieces of his crushed organs spewed out of his mouth along with copious amounts of blood. His Dao Source Realm aura quickly waned as his vitality disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Before he crashed to the ground, the young man was already dead.
*Hualala…*
The aftermath due to the sound wave was still spreading, and the force of impact caused the ground to flip over as if the end was here.
Only after ten breaths did everything slowly subsided.
Several dozen Dao Source Realm cultivators were thrown into a panic as some were even buried under the soil. At this time, everyone finally crawled back up and took the chance to look around, their jaws dropping in astonishment at what they witnessed.
Shocked, they couldn’t bother to snatch the Star Seal left by the young man surnamed Zhang.
“Cough cough…” Qi Hai lightly coughed a few times, patting off the dust on his body as he looked over at the dead young man surnamed Zhang and stated, “It looks like this opportunity is not for you!”
Everyone was rendered speechless.
Worthy of being the artifact of a Great Emperor, the might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was simply extraordinary. The young man surnamed Zhang had only touched it, but that had been enough to set off a huge sound wave that killed him and knocked everyone else flying. If this artifact were really refined, how much power could it exert?
Furthermore, this was definitely not the true might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell; after all, it had been left here for tens of thousands of years, so its power had definitely fallen. It was very likely that the power it had shown just now was not even half of its peak.
Therefore, despite the lesson learned from the young man surnamed Zhang, no one’s enthusiasm reduced; rather, it had grown stronger.
And because of the shock just now, the Mountains and Rivers Bell hidden in the mountain had been completely revealed. Surprisingly, this Emperor Artifact was several hundreds of metres tall and sat on the ground, looking like a small mountain. The Emperor Aura and the runes circling around it were extremely dazzling. No one could take their eyes off this mysterious treasure as they tried to spy on its secrets from afar!
But now, no one dared to easily touch it. So, although everyone’s heart was burning with enthusiasm, strangely, everyone had entered a strange stalemate. They seemed to be secretly praying that the Artifact Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers Bell would choose them as its Master without them having to do anything.
At this moment, the bell tolled once more.
Everyone’s face immediately changed and fell into confusion as no one had touched the Mountains and Rivers Bell this time. So, why was it ringing again?
After having tasted it once, everyone invariably pushed their Source Qi to mount the strongest defence they could while simultaneously summoning their defensive artifacts.
But the shockwave everyone was waiting for never came. Rather, something astonishing happened in the next moment.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the Mountains and Rivers Bell slightly shook as it rose into the air before shooting straight towards the Starry Sky, leaving a long trail of light behind it.
In an instant, everyone was dumbfounded.
Who knows who reacted first, but someone shouted, “Chase it!”
Just as he said this, he flew off in pursuit.
After finally discovering a treasure left by a Great Emperor, how could these cultivators miss it? So, after that guy who shouted left, several dozen cultivators rose into the air, one after another, and chased after the Mountains and Rivers Bell, leaving all kinds of colourful trails in their wake.
Yang Kai was no exception.
Even though he had a lot of Emperor Artifacts, enough to have even gifted one each to Liu Yan, Sister Hua, and the Embodiment, one could never have too many Emperor Artifacts. And he had seen the might of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, making him even more interested in it. This kind of might was even stronger than that of the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
He believed that Qi Hai was right, that it was impossible to obtain this Emperor Artifact without some luck and opportunity, especially since the Mountains and Rivers Bell already had its own sentience. If one wanted to take it, he or she had to get the Artifact Spirit’s recognition first.
As long as one could get the recognition of the Artifact Spirit though, it would become easy to collect the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Along the road of cultivation, Yang Kai had obtained countless opportunities, and when it came to good luck, he was confident that he would not lose to anyone, so he still had some hopes that he could collect the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
What’s more, Yin Le Sheng, whom he had been looking for all the while, was also chasing after the Mountains and Rivers bell.
But the moment Yang Kai flew up, a strange feeling suddenly sprouted deep in his heart. It was weak and unclear, but it still made him feel a little restless.
This strange feeling was elusive to him; and when he deliberately tried to search for its source, he was unable to find anything.
However, the faster Yang Kai flew away, the stronger this feeling became!
It was as if… if he left this place now, he would deeply regret it!
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and abruptly stopped.
He might be eager to obtain the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but if he couldn’t understand this feeling…
A figure suddenly shot from behind. Apparently, it was giving chase to the Mountains and Rivers Bell too. Yang Kai focused his gaze on the figure and discovered that it was none other than Lan He.
Seeing him stop, Lan He cast a strange glance at him. However, by the looks of her appearance, she had no intention of paying attention to him, so after a quick glance, she tried to bypass him.
When the two passed one another, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed before he reached out to hold Lan He’s shoulder.
Lan He’s expression dramatically changed as her figure made a strange twist and she quickly distanced herself from Yang Kai; however, even though she was quite fast, Yang Kai’s hand had still brushed her clothes.
“What do you want?” Lan He angrily shouted. At the same time, she carefully probed the location where Yang Kai had just patted with her Divine Sense, trying to figure out what Yang Kai just did to her.
But to her disappointment, no matter how she probed, she didn’t find anything.
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “Nothing. Don’t be so nervous, I just wanted to persuade you not to chase after it. So many people are trying to obtain that thing, so you will definitely not be able to get it.”
“Whether I can snatch it or not, it’s none of your business!” Lan He looked upset. She thought that this guy was a little interesting, but in the end they had only met by chance, so why was he being so meddlesome? What exactly was going through his mind.
Yang Kai shrugged as he replied, “I just wanted to make the suggestion. As for what you do, it is all up to Sister Lan He.”
Lan He deeply stared at him before speaking, “There’s something wrong with your head!”
After having said this, she turned around and flew towards the Starry Sky.
If it wasn’t urgent, she would have definitely taught Yang Kai a good lesson. This guy had been too frivolous from the first time they met, and now he dared to touch her so casually. How utterly shameless!
Unfortunately, her mind was preoccupied with the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so she wasn’t in the mood to argue with Yang Kai.
However, after this latest incident, her impression of Yang Kai had almost hit rock bottom.
Seeing her gradually moving away, Yang Kai touched his nose in helplessness. He hadn’t intended to make a move against Lan He specifically, it was just that she was right behind him, so there was no one else for him to target. If it had been someone else, Yang Kai would have still acted the way he did.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had flown away, each of them seemingly afraid that the others would be a step faster. So, no one spared any effort to catch up with the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Yang Kai on the other hand turned around and flew back towards the dark red Star.
After a short while, he returned to the place where the Mountains and Rivers Bell had originally been and began looking around with a solemn gaze.
There was no one here, but the feeling that made him restless was definitely coming from this place.
It was for this reason that he returned here instead of chasing the Mountains and Rivers Bell like everyone else, trying to figure out the cause.
After a while, Yang Kai noticed something. His eyes immediately brightened as he came to the original location of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
It was originally a small mountain; however, because of the quake caused by the advent of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, the mountain had completely collapsed, and after the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew away on its own, this place had been reduced to nothing but rubble.
However, a distinctive scorching energy was leaking from the original location of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Previously, everyone’s attention was drawn to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so no one noticed the strangeness here.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but be suspicious, wondering what was going on here. After giving it a thought, he flew into the air and punched downward.
After a few punches, the ground split apart as a small pit suddenly appeared in his view.
Suddenly, incomparable heat gushed out from this pit while at the same time, intense Source Strength fluctuations spread, catching Yang Kai by surprise.
Looking down, there was actually a pool of lava inside the pit, and the scorching temperature it gave off caused Yang Kai to turn pale. He didn’t dare to casually approach it.
“The Fire Attribute Star Source?” Yang Kai cried out in a low voice as a strange look appeared in his eyes, a bold conjecture flashing across his mind.
Was it possible that the Fire Attribute Star Source had been hidden here?
The reason why Yang Kai came to this Star in the first place was that Zhong Zhen Yong had said that someone here had found traces of a Fire Attribute Star Source, but after arriving, the appearance of the Mountains and Rivers Bell had taken away everyone’s attention, causing them all to forget about the Fire Attribute Star Source.
But who could have guessed that the Fire Attribute Star Source was actually hidden under the Mountains and Rivers Bell? In fact, by the looks of it, this Source was being suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell!
It was no wonder dozens of Dao Source Realm cultivators with their Star Seals were unable to find the exact location of the Fire Attribute Star Source, it was all because of that bell!
At first, when Yang Kai arrived here, he too had used his Star Seal to search for the location of the Fire Attribute Star Source, but the sensation he always received was vague and uncertain, making it impossible to get clear directions. It became apparent now that this was because of the existence of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Now that the Mountain and Rivers Bell had flown away on its own, the Fire Attribute Star Source was immediately exposed.
The Source Strength was hidden under the lava here, and it was precisely because of this Fire Attribute Star Source that this Star was so hot and had produced so many Fire Attribute spirit medicines!
Considering all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but become excited.
He felt that it really was a wise decision to remain here. So many people were chasing and vying for the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so no one would be able to capture it in short order; however, the Fire Attribute Star Source was only discovered by him alone, so he could collect it in peace and at leisure.
However, it was just a guess that the Fire Attribute Star Source was hidden under this pool of magma. As to whether it was true or not, Yang Kai had no way to confirm it. Even if it was true, he still had not found a way to get it.
The Fire Attribute Star Source wasn’t easy to obtain as just a moment of carelessness here could cause Yang Kai to be reduced to ashes.
Just when he was at a loss, the magma in front of Yang Kai suddenly started boiling. Huge bubbles of hot gas rose to the surface of the magma and burst, causing the surrounding temperature to rise to an unbearable level.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but circulate his Source Qi to defend his body; only then feeling slightly better.
However, this sudden change had caused him to become extremely vigilant and he immediately took a few steps back.
After a moment, the entire magma pool in the huge pit erupted, and immediately afterward, a sharp and clear bird cry reverberated throughout the world, echoing in Yang Kai’s ears…
Yang Kai was rooted to the ground, dumbstruck!
Because this cry sounded quite familiar.
In the past, when he was dual cultivating with Su Yan, when the auspicious phenomena of a dragon and phoenix had manifested, the Ice Phoenix’s cry was exactly the same. It shook the listener’s hearts and made all living beings submit to it!
*Huala!*
A beautiful, fiery red figure suddenly flew out of the pit, and as it appeared, all the heat flowed away along with it, turning the huge pit of magma into stone in an instant.
Suddenly, the sky was obscured by a huge figure as an ear-piercing cry resounded throughout the sky.
Yang Kai looked up, gawking at the beautiful and incomprehensible figure, nervously gulping as he muttered with difficulty, “A Fire Phoenix!”
There were Divine Spirits in this world, and Dragons and Phoenixes reigned supreme above these great beasts.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan were the strongest existences among the Ancient Divine Spirits. This was almost an indisputable fact. Putting the Dragon Clan aside, the Phoenix Clan had two major branches.
The Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix!
These two branches of the Phoenix Clan represented the two great attributes of Fire and Ice, making them polar opposites of one another.
The Divine Spirit Luan Feng that Yang Kai had seen on Clear Jade Mountain outside Maplewood City fell under the Fire Phoenix branch. The Luan Feng’s World Extinguishing Black Flame was simply synonymous with destruction and disaster. A single breath of its black flames had caused Clear Jade Mountain to burn down, and its fires would undoubtedly continue burning for many years to come. This phenomenon had attracted countless cultivators who cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to Clear Jade Mountain to enter retreat, seeking enlightenment.
And the giant, beautiful figure before Yang Kai now was undoubtedly an authentic Fire Phoenix! Its bloodline was even purer than that Luan Feng’s.
Yang Kai had never even dreamed that he would see a Fire Phoenix in the Shattered Star Sea! Moreover, one that was suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Had the cultivators not discovered the Mountains and Rivers Bell by accident, and caused it to fly away, this Fire Phoenix might still be sleeping under it, never to see the light of the day.
“No!” Yang Kai suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the Fire Phoenix hovering in the sky as if he had noticed something amiss.
Because he noticed that this Fire Phoenix had no vitality. It could even be said that it had no physical body. Everything about it was composed of pure energy. And when it appeared, Yang Kai had clearly felt the energy of a Fire Attribute Star Source.
In a flash, Yang Kai was struck with realization and involuntarily cried, “Phoenix True Fire!”
This was not a true Fire Phoenix Divine Spirit, it was the Phoenix True Fire! And combined with what Qi Hai had said before, Yang Kai immediately realized that this Phoenix True Fire was left here after the death of Martial Flame Great Emperor!
In terms of value, it wasn’t inferior to the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and to some, it was a priceless treasure that nothing could compare to.
However… Why was Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell suppressing Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire? Didn’t these two Great Emperors jointly attack Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?
Yang Kai was suddenly confused and he couldn’t fathom what happened during the great battle of those Great Emperors for such a thing to happen.
But it was useless to think about matters that happened tens of thousands of years ago.
Now that the Phoenix True Fire was right before him, the mysteries of this place were also solved. The Fire Attribute Star Source on this star was actually the Phoenix True Fire, something far more valuable than a mere Fire Attribute Star Source.
The Phoenix True Fire carried the inheritance of a True Fire Phoenix. A Fire Phoenix would eventually die, but its True Fire would never go out. Contained in this Phoenix True Fire was the knowledge and experiences the Fire Phoenix Clan had gained over hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years. No matter who obtained this Phoenix True Fire, their strength would certainly improve by leaps and bounds.
If Liu Yan could absorb this Phoenix True Fire, it might even be possible for her to be reborn as a real Fire Phoenix!
“Li!”
The loud cry rang out again, pulling Yang Kai from his excited thoughts. Yang Kai was immediately startled by the sight before his eyes. The Phoenix True Fire in the sky had actually started rotating and swiftly turned into a fist-sized ball of fire before flying straight at him.
At this moment, Yang Kai was frightened out of his senses.
He might be proud of his uncommon strength and even dared to fight ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, but in the face of the Phoenix True Fire that was known to be able to burn all things in existence to ash, he didn’t even dare to touch it.
If he was hit by this flame, he would evaporate instantly!
Just when he wanted to run away, a force uncontrollably surged out of Yang Kai’s body.
Immediately afterward, a reverberating and deafening dragon roar resounded through the sky as a golden glow appeared around Yang Kai. The Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength that had been hiding in Yang Kai’s body all this time directly appeared behind his back at that moment, seemingly stimulated by the Phoenix True Fire.
The enormous Dragon head stared at the Phoenix True Fire with its house-sized eyes, its golden light giving it a dazzling and majestic look.
In a flash, dragon roars and phoenix cries sang one after another, trying to display their majesty to the other.
Right afterwards, the two Sources clashed with each other mid-air, causing the surrounding space to collapse and the world to crack.
Suddenly, a muffled groan came from somewhere nearby, as if someone was injured by these clashes. Yang Kai’s eyes immediately turned cold as he turned his head and glanced towards the source of the groan, but when he looked over, he didn’t notice anything.
At this moment, he had no time to care about other things as he was currently at the centre of the collision between the two Ancient Divine Spirit Sources. He too was having a hard time holding on, and if the Dragon Source wasn’t safeguarding his body, he might have been long crushed into nothing. Even so, his bones were beginning to crack and Golden Blood started flowing out as his skin split apart, making him look extremely miserable.
The fiery glow became more and more vibrant, but the golden radiance wasn’t showing any weakness either.
The whole world now seemed to have only two colours.
This was a confrontation merely between two Sources, without real physical bodies, a battle between the supreme overlords of the Ancient Divine Spirits. Under these surging Source Strengths, Yang Kai suffered immense pain, but also gained phenomenal insights.
Over time, the collision between the two Sources seemed to have become even more fearsome, and Yang Kai had no choice but to use his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to cover his entire body in Dragon Scales. Even so, his blood and Source Qi were in turmoil from the constant impacts and he kept coughing up blood, looking like he might die at any moment.
Although he looked miserable, there was a light of ecstasy in his eyes.
Because he discovered due to being in the centre of this clash, his comprehension of Source and Principle Strength had climbed to a new height in a very short period of time. At this moment, some obscure concepts that he never understood before suddenly became clear.
As such, he hoped that this clash would keep going a while longer!
Slavin, Original Title – Phoenix True Fire
What disappointed Yang Kai a little was the fact that these two supreme Sources only clashed with each other for less time than it took to drink a cup of tea before they settled down and retreated from each other.
However, he could tell that although it seemed that they came out on par in their clash, the fact was that the Phoenix True Fire was slightly inferior. It seemed his Golden Divine Dragon Source was a little bit stronger than the Phoenix True Fire.
Yang Kai was extremely excited by this discovery.
Right then, he grit his teeth and forced the Golden Divine Dragon Source once more.
The Phoenix True Fire was immediately caught off guard and was enveloped by the Dragon Source Strength. It constantly cried in anger and vigorously struggled, a terrifying display to behold.
Yang Kai quickly formed seals with his hands as he summoned the Sealed World Bead. Suddenly, an entrance to the Sealed World Bead opened up, sucking the Phoenix True Fire straight into the Small Sealed World.
Immediately afterwards, he mobilized the power of the Small World Bead and suppressed it.
After doing all this, Yang Kai staggered a few steps, his face completely pale as he sweat profusely, making him look like a fish out of water.
He hurriedly immersed his consciousness into the Small Sealed World to check the condition of the Phoenix True Fire. Immediately, he noticed that although the Phoenix True Fire was vehemently struggling, it was unable to free itself from the World Strength. Finally, Yang Kai put his heart to rest.
A sense of exhaustion finally struck him as Yang Kai slumped down on the ground.
Putting something as powerful as the Phoenix True Fire into the Small Sealed World had almost completely exhausted his Spiritual Energy, which was more exhaustive than taking over a hundred Embodiments into the Small Sealed World. It was proof in itself how Heaven-defying the Phoenix True Fire was.
What surprised Yang Kai was that everything went so smoothly. He had just tried to test the waters, that’s all. He hadn’t expected to succeed on first try. The credit for this mostly went to his Golden Divine Dragon Source. Had it not been there to suppress the Phoenix True Fire, Yang Kai would never have been able to obtain it, even with the Sealed World Bead on his side.
How could a supreme Source be taken away so easily?
Suddenly, a figure appeared from somewhere nearby and sat down cross-legged on the ground, watching Yang Kai with a look of disbelief. Like Yang Kai, his face was similarly pale.
Qi Hai!
Who would have thought that while everyone was chasing the Mountains and Rivers Bell, Qi Hai would unexpectedly use a concealment-type Secret Technique to hide here.
However, when the two Source Strengths clashed with each other, Qi Hai seemed to have suffered from the impact. From the look on his face, he seemed to be slightly injured right now. Presumably, he knew that his whereabouts had been exposed, so he no longer hid himself and had appeared in a frank and upright manner.
He was looking at Yang Kai with a complicated gaze, but he didn’t come forward right away, and neither did he show any hostility. He just stood there quietly and waited.
Although Yang Kai was recuperating in a cross-legged position, he was also paying a little attention to Qi Hai’s movements. He found this cunning refreshing. If it weren’t for the groan Qi Hai made when he was injured, Yang Kai would have never thought that there would be someone else beside him here.
Obviously, Qi Hai had some motive for secretly staying here. Yang Kai reckoned that it might have something to do with the Phoenix True Fire. In other words, Qi Hai had long known about the Phoenix True Fire being suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell. That’s why he didn’t chase after the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
For a moment, both of them remained silent. The high temperature on the surface of the dark red star seemed to be rapidly dropping because the Phoenix True Fire was taken away. Hissing noises could be heard coming from everywhere because of the rapid drop in the temperature.
After half an hour, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes.
Even though adjusting his breathing for this half-hour wasn’t enough to fully replenish his Spiritual Energy, he wasn’t as tired as before. Not to mention, he also had the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, which was nourishing his Soul every moment, so there was no need to deliberately restore his Spiritual Energy.
Next, he turned and deeply stared at Qi Hai.
This guy had been sitting there all the while. He didn’t disturb Yang Kai’s recovery, nor did it look like he had any malicious intentions, so what did he want?
However, Yang Kai could tell that Qi Hai wasn’t hostile to him. On the contrary, because of his shocking battle which had just taken place, it seemed Qi Hai’s gaze was filled with intense fear.
Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, Qi Hai’s expression turned serious as he quickly cupped his fists and introduced himself, “This one’s name is Qi Hai. I think you should know me by now. Friend, may I have the honour of knowing your name?”
“Yang Kai!” Yang Kai didn’t conceal his name, because he believed that he wasn’t famous. His fame couldn’t be compared to that of top disciples from top Sects, so it didn’t matter if he said his real name.
“So, it is Brother Yang Kai. Greetings!” Qi Hai cupped his fists again, wondering in his heart. He kept recalling the names of the elite disciples of the Sects of four territories of the Star Boundary, but he found that there was no Yang Kai among them.
“Brother Qi Hai, is there something I can do for you?” Yang Kai indifferently asked.
Qi Hai smiled in embarrassment as he stated, “You can indeed do something for me. This Qi has a presumptuous request…”
Yang Kai interrupted with a snort, “Since it’s a presumptuous request, then don’t ask.”
“Uh…” Qi Ha immediately choked, rendered speechless. He was only being polite by saying so and hadn’t expected Yang Kai to give such a harsh reply. This made him really helpless.
“I am a little curious though,” Yang Kai calmly gazed at Qi Hai, “Everyone chased after the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so why did Brother Qi Hai secretly stay here? Did you already know something?”
Qi Hai had displayed extensive knowledge about the past and knew many secrets that others had never even heard of. He was also the one who revealed information about the war between the Great Emperors. He might have hidden some of the insider information.
Qi Hai raised his brow but instead of replying, he counter-questioned Yang Kai, “What about Brother Yang? You flew off and then came back. You wouldn’t happen to know something too, would you?”
Yang Kai calmly answered, “I suddenly got a stomach ache, so I ran back to take a dump!”
Qi Hai’s face darkened upon hearing this.
Yang Kai continued, “Brother Qi Hai has been hiding here all the while. Didn’t you see me creating a big hole on the ground as soon as I came back? I was going to take care of my business here, but who would have thought that something like this would happen!”
The corners of Qi Hai’s mouth twitched as he stated, “Brother Yang’s luck is quite Heaven-defying!”
Qi Hai’s expression clearly stated that only some idiot would believe him, but Yang Kai didn’t mind. Instead, he meaningfully grinned and stated, “Brother Qi, if you know something, you might as well tell me about it. Since things have come to pass like this, there is no point in hiding it anymore.”
Qi Hai’s face slightly sank. Obviously, he was feeling frustrated, but after a long time, he heaved a sigh before he confirmed it with a nod, “I do know something.”
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up as he stated, “This Yang is all ears.”
Qi Hai continued, “I knew that the Phoenix True Fire was suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell!”
Yang Kai immediately voiced his doubt, “I’m extremely puzzled about this. Didn’t Yuan Ding Great Emperor and Martial Flame Great Emperor join hands to deal with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor? How did Yuan Ding Great Emperor end up using his Mountains and Rivers Bell to suppress Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire? Were they enemies?”
Qi Hai denied, shaking his head, “Brother Yang’s conjecture is wrong. Yuan Ding Great Emperor and Martial Flame Great Emperor were indeed companions, and they joined hands to deal with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in that battle long ago, but there is a special reason why the Phoenix True Fire was suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell.”
“Can you tell me the details?” Yang Kai earnestly asked.
Qi Hai pondered for a moment before answering, “Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was incredibly shrewd on top of being extremely powerful. He had many trump cards up his sleeve and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the strongest expert in the Star Boundary’s entire history. However, even though he was a Great Emperor, he wasn’t immortal or indestructible. In his era, his cultivation had reached a level which no one could surpass, but he still wanted to go further. Brother Yang, can you guess what he wanted when his strength and status reached that level?”
Yang Kai wasn’t a fool. After listening to Qi Hai, he could pretty much guess it and an intelligent gleam flashed past his eyes as he muttered in surprise, “Eternal life?”
Qi Hai confirmed it with a nod, “Yes, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to have the longevity of the Heavens and Earth, sharing brilliance with the sun and moon!”
Yang Kai gasped in shock, “What a big appetite!”
Qi Hai chuckled, “You and I still haven’t reached that realm. If you or I had the cultivation and abilities of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, we might also consider this, but it is not that easy to achieve immortality and have an indestructible body. However, rumour has it that there was a precious treasure formed just as the Heavens and Earth first came into being from the undivided chaos: the Immortal Tree!”
Yang Kai’s eyes twitched ever so slightly hearing this.
Qi Hai continued, not noticing this slight twitch, “According to the ancient rumours, if one can obtain the Immortal Tree and refine it, they can obtain an immortal and indestructible body!”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Does Brother Qi believe this kind of unfounded rumour?”
Qi Hai earnestly looked at him and asked, “Why? Don’t you believe it?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “A tree that can make someone immortal and indestructible? That’s just some tale used to deceive children. Brother Qi Hai, you are already an adult, don’t believe such nonsense.”
Qi Hai shook his head and stated, “In this world, there are many marvellous and exotic treasures, each of which has an incomprehensible and unimaginable effect. The Immortal Tree can indeed make someone immortal and indestructible.”
Yang Kai feigned surprise and asked, “Is that true? Then does Brother Qi know how one can become immortal and indestructible using the Immortal Tree?”
Qi Hai bitterly smiled and stated, “I don’t know anything about that. How can it be that easy to see the Immortal Tree? Since ancient times, the people who have seen the Immortal Tree should not exceed five.”
Yang Kai rebuked in his heart, [Bullshit, when I got the Immortal Tree, at least six or seven people saw it.]
However, the fact that Qi Hai didn’t know how to use the Immortal Tree inevitably disappointed Yang Kai. He thought that since Qi Hai was so knowledgeable, perhaps he could get some information about the Immortal Tree from him.
After Yang Kai obtained the Immortal Tree back then, he had tried refining it many times in order to achieve an immortal and indestructible body.
But no matter what method Yang Kai tried, he discovered that he couldn’t refine the Immortal Tree at all. Back then, he was just an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so it was reasonable to assume that his cultivation was simply too low. But now, he was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master, yet he still couldn’t refine it.
The biggest role the Immortal Tree played today was to bring great vitality to the Small Sealed World, allowing the spirit medicines in his medicine garden to grow rapidly. It shortened the growth cycle of these spirit medicines by a great deal. Occasionally, Yang Kai would also use the rich vitality exuded by the Immortal Tree to heal his injuries. Likewise, its leaves could also be used to instantly heal severe wounds. Besides this, it had no other effect. As for achieving an immortal and indestructible body, Yang Kai had no clue about this.
“In the past, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor once went looking for the Immortal Tree to gain immortality. He even tore apart the Star Boundary’s Starlight Corridor and invaded countless lower Star Fields. Every time he went to a Star Field, countless Cultivation Stars would be devoured by him, plunging people into misery and suffering. It was for this reason that he finally incurred the wrath of the entire world,” Qi Hai unhurriedly continued, “But unfortunately, even the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was unable to find the Immortal Tree.”
Yang Kai was filled with fear after hearing this.
He could say for sure that the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had never been to Heng Luo Star Field. Had he been there, he might have really found the Immortal Tree; however, his arrival would have definitely brought doom to the Heng Luo Star Field.
Qi Hai continued, “Unable to find the Immortal Tree, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor could only look for other methods. The popular rumour is that the reason why the other Great Emperors besieged the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in the Shattered Star Sea was because his behaviour was no longer acceptable, but in fact, that was only a part of the reason.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “What’s the other reason?”
“There was another bigger reason. He wanted to attack another Great Emperor and snatch something from him!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s mind quickly started working. All of a sudden, he was struck with some realization as cried out in alarm, “Could it be…”
Qi Hai confirmed it with a nod, “Yes, it’s exactly as Brother Yang has guessed. It is absolutely impossible for Great Emperors to fight if there isn’t an absolute irreconcilable enmity between them. However, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s conduct undoubtedly touched the inverse-scale and bottom line of all the other Great Emperors. If they ignored this, the next unlucky person might be themselves, so they formed an alliance and declared war against Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. Their battle shattered the sky and split worlds, causing the universe to shatter, resulting in the creation of this Shattered Star Sea!”
“What the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to steal was the Martial Flame Great Emperor’s Phoenix True Fire!” Qi Hai’s face grew serious, “The Phoenix True Fire is the inheritance of a True Fire Phoenix. The Fire Phoenix might die, but its Phoenix Fire will never go out. It even has the Heaven-defying Divine Ability of nirvana, so the Phoenix True Fire is also known as the Nirvana True Fire. It’s ranked at the top among all the exotic fires created by the Heavens. The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wanted to obtain the Phoenix True Fire and understand the mysteries of eternal life from it. If the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor really succeeded in getting his hands on it, then he might have really gotten what he wanted.”
“During that battle, the Martial Flame Great Emperor was the first to fall under the hands of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor; after all, he was the main focus of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. The Phoenix True Fire was also pulled out by him, but in order to prevent the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor from getting his hands on the Phoenix True Fire, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor could only use his own Mountains and Rivers Bell to suppress it. He was also helpless. And without the Mountains and Rivers Bell, the Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s strength plummeted, so he too followed the footsteps of the Martial Flame Great Emperor. However, the Phoenix True Fire suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell was sent away by another Great Emperor during the tangled fight. It had been missing since then!”
“Over the years, countless cultivators have entered the Shattered Star Sea to find the treasures left by the fallen Great Emperors, but few knew that the Phoenix True Fire was being suppressed under the Mountains and Rivers Bell.”
Listening to Qi Hai, Yang Kai immediately understood why he secretly remained and he couldn’t help but smile as he praised, “Brother Qi Hai, you really know a great deal.”
Qi Hai stated, “This Qi has been paying attention to the whereabouts of the Phoenix True Fire, and has also read countless ancient books due to some special circumstances.”
“Special circumstances?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Qi Hai timely cupped his fists and explained, “I’ll be honest with Brother Yang. This Qi’s wife was severely injured twenty years ago, and had been in a coma since then. Although this Qi has tried everything to save her, I could only keep her barely alive. It’s not a long-term solution. In order to save her, apart from the Immortal Source Liquid on the Immortal Tree, only the Phoenix True Fire will do.”
Yang Kai’s face turned livid as he coldly snorted and asked, “Brother Qi, did you come to me to ask for the Phoenix True Fire? If so, then this Yang has been wrong about you. It was a pleasant talk, but I didn’t expect that Brother Qi had this plan in his mind. Goodbye!”
“Brother Yang, you are misunderstanding me,” Qi Hai hurriedly waved his hands, “Can you please listen to me first?”
Yang Kai coldly glanced at him and stated, “I’m neither your friend nor your relative, why must I care about your troubles?”
Large beads of sweat immediately appeared on Qi Hai’s forehead and he promptly swore, “If Brother Yang is willing to help me this time, this Qi is willing to pay any price. Whatever Brother Yang asks of me, this Qi will definitely do it for you.”
“Even if I want you dead?” Yang Kai pursed his lips as a sinister smile appeared on his lips.
Qi Hai’s face slightly changed but he quickly gave a big-hearted smile, “If Brother Yang really saves my wife, this Qi will commit suicide in front of you.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed ever so slightly, the corners of his lips twitching as he muttered, “You’re crazy!”
Qi Hai smiled instead and asked, “I wonder whether Brother Yang had met a woman whom you can depend on to stand beside you even in the face of death? If you have met such a woman, you will be able to understand this Qi’s feelings.”
Several beautiful figures flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes and he couldn’t help but be a little moved.
He wondered if those few encountered something similar, what would he do? Suddenly he understood Qi Hai’s feelings.
“Although I sympathize with you, I can’t give you the Phoenix True Fire,” Yang Kai shook his head. The Phoenix True Fire was too precious and he already planned to give it to Liu Yuan. He couldn’t hand it to Qi Hai just because of a few words.
Who knows if this Qi Hai was speaking the truth or not? Even if what he said was true, there was no friendship between them that would warrant such a sacrifice.
Qi Hai stated, “Brother Yang, you really misunderstood me. I don’t want your Phoenix True Fire.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he asked, “Then, what do you want?”
Qi Hai replied, “I just wanted to ask Brother Yang to come with me. You only need to use the Nirvana Divine Ability of the Phoenix True Fire a little. It will be enough to save my wife. And you will not lose the slightest.”
“Just this?” Yang Kai asked, surprised.
“Just this!” Qi Hai solemnly nodded.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before asking, “What kind of injuries has your wife suffered? Why are you sure that the Phoenix True Fire will save her?”
Qi Hai’s expression turned dark as he explained, “It’s not an injury per se, but more of a kind of cold poison. At the edge of the Eastern Territory lies the vast Ancient Wild Lands. Only a few people ever set foot into those lands and fewer return, but where there is danger, there is also opportunity. Many Masters of the Eastern Territory like to go to the Ancient Wild Lands to explore and temper themselves. My wife once went to the Ancient Wild Lands alone twenty years ago, from which she returned seriously wounded a month later. Since then, she has been in a coma. According to my Qi Family Fort’s Alchemist, my wife was poisoned, and the poison in her system is none other than the Heavenly Frost Earth Rain!”
“Heavenly Frost Earth Rain!” Yang Kai’s face immediately changed when he heard this and he couldn’t help but cry out in shock, “One of the Ten Extreme Poisons!?”
Qi Hai looked at Yang Kai in surprise as he asked, “Brother Yang knows about the Heavenly Frost Earth Rain?”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “I’ve heard of it.”
Qi Hai bitterly smiled, “Since Brother Yang has heard of it, you should know that there is basically no cure for someone afflicted by this kind of poison.”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai slightly sighed. There was no cure for any of the Ten Extreme Poisons. Basically, one would just be counting his or her days unless he or she encountered some astonishing treasure, such as the Immortal Tree.
“However, the Phoenix True Fire’s Nirvana Divine Ability may be able to cure my wife,” Qi Hai blazingly stared at Yang Kai as he continued, “My main purpose for entering the Shattered Star Sea this time was to find the Phoenix True Fire and take it back to the Qi Family Fort. But… after watching everything, this Qi realized that he was far too naive. With my current strength, I wouldn’t have been able to even approach the Phoenix True Fire.”
Qi Hai had naturally seen the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength breaking out of Yang Kai and its fight with the Phoenix True Fire. Just remembering that terrifying battle made him tremble all over.
“Brother Qi, you are overestimating me. I still haven’t subdued it, I was only able to temporarily suppress it,” Yang Kai calmly explained.
“Suppressed…” Qi Hai nervously gulped. It sounded even more unbelievable than Yang Kai subduing the Phoenix True Fire and he immediately muttered in admiration, “Brother Yang is really amazing.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he stated, “Although even the Heavens and Earth would be moved by Brother Qi’s feelings for your wife, please forgive this Yang for being incapable of helping you.”
Qi Hai’s face darkened. He knew that he couldn’t force this kind of thing. Yang Kai hadn’t subdued or refined the Phoenix True Fire at all, so even if he did want to help, he was unable to do so, this was a simple fact. In order to save Qi Hai’s wife, Yang Kai must first refine the Phoenix True Fire; otherwise, once he took out the Phoenix True Fire, not to mention saving his wife, everyone might be burned to ashes in an instant.
“Then… Will Brother Yang come to the Qi Family Fort in the Eastern Territory after you have refined the Phoenix True Fire someday?” Qi Hai pleadingly looked at Yang Kai before earnestly swearing, “Right now, this is my last hope to save my beloved wife. Brother Yang, rest assured, this Qi will never divulge anything he witnessed today, if I do so, may I be struck by lightning.”
“Qi Family Fort in the Eastern Territory?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“That’s right!”
“If it’s the Eastern Territory, I may go there someday,” Yang Kai nodded. This time, whether he could get Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts from Yin Le Sheng or not, he had to go to the Eastern Territory because Xiao Xiao may very well be in the Eastern Territory.
“Really!?” Qi Hai was overjoyed when he heard this. He cried, lost in happiness, “Great! When Brother Yang comes to the Eastern Territory, just ask about the Ancient Wild Lands. My Qi Family Fort is near the Ancient Wild Lands.”
“We’ll see when the time comes,” Yang Kai didn’t agree right away. He couldn’t easily make a promise when it came to matters like this. If he failed to fulfil his promise, it would definitely make Qi Hai hate him.
Qi Hai obviously understood this, but the initiative was entirely in Yang Kai’s hands, so he couldn’t force the issue. He could only take out a Communication Bead from his Space Ring and carefully hand it to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, this is this Qi’s Communication Bead, it might be to use in the future.”
Yang Kai took it and threw it into his Space Ring before cupping his fist and bidding him farewell, “Then, let’s part ways here.”
Qi Hai nodded with a complicated look on his face.
Before Yang Kai left, Qi Hai suddenly cried, “Brother Yang, wait a moment!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gazed back at him.
Qi Hai earnestly asked, “Brother Yang, are you planning to chase after the Mountains and Rivers Bell?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “How can I let a Great Emperor’s artifact slip? I should give it a try.”
Qi Hai stated, “Yuan Ding Great Emperor’s Mountains and Rivers Bell is extremely powerful. No one in the Dao Source Realm can succeed in subduing it unless you can get the approval of the Artifact Spirit and let it choose you as its Master.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai flicked his hair as he narcissistically stated, “Since I’m so handsome, it should take a liking to me.”
Qi Hai’s face turned black.